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Monthly Educational Presentations Provide Background on Emerging Digital Media Trends;
Centro Delivers Advice and Expertise for People Who Work in Advertising
New York - February 10, 2016 – Centro (centro.net), a provider of enterprise-class software for digital advertising, today announced the Q1 2016 schedule for its 3Ton30 webinars. Centro’s Tips, Trends and Techniques (3T) series is an educational program designed to help professionals in the advertising industry master digital media. Via the 3Ton30 monthly webinars, Centro experts will distill the most important topics in digital media-buying into 30-minute presentations.
Full recordings of past webinars are available on www2.centro.net/3Ton30. Users can also follow the series on Twitter via #3Ton30. Aubry Parks-Fried, Centro’s senior manager of social + native, kicked off the 3Ton30 webinars in January with ‘Understanding Native Advertising on Social Media.’ Aubry has more than a decade of experience orchestrating social strategy for major brands. At HarperCollins Publishers, she drove development of a social community that grew to reach more than 4.2M people each month.
Centro’s webinar series occurs every third Wednesday of every month and will tackle a variety of topics, with live Q&A. The schedule is as follows:
“With Centro’s experience working with digital media professionals of every level in a variety of agencies, we’re receiving continuous requests for education. Every month, our experts will take a quick dive into advertising tech’s most pertinent topics,” said Leah Holzman, VP of marketing, Centro. “From advancements in media-buying technology to the latest way to leverage data, Centro’s webinars will share instruction and guidance – all in the time it takes for professionals to go on a lunch break.”
Centro initiated 3T education programs in 2015 to provide the advertising industry with resources for knowledge and instruction. Centro started with in-market forums and panels on programmatic advertising trends across eight cities in the U.S. Marketing and media professionals with requests for specific topics for future Centro 3T webinars and events can send a note to: [email protected].
Centro is an advertising technology company with 700 employees across North America. Its software platform automates the entire lifecycle of media transactions between agencies/advertisers and publishers, encompassing guaranteed and biddable ad inventory on every major digital channel.
About Centro
Centro (centro.net) is creating a platform to make digital advertising easier. Its enterprise-class software centralizes, organizes and automates all digital media campaigns across all channels, accessing both guaranteed and biddable inventory, to achieve any objective. Our holistic approach gives marketers a single system of record to fulfill their research, planning, buying, optimization, reporting and reconciliation needs. Since 2001, Centro has successfully planned and executed more than 250,000 campaigns across all digital display platforms and ad format types. Headquartered in Chicago with 32 offices in North America, Centro has received numerous accolades for its commitment to employees and workplace culture.
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Contact:
Anthony Loredo
646-462-4888
Last year, in response to an industry-wide thirst for education, Centro launched the 3T roadshow. Our internal digital experts visited marketers around the country to deliver 3T wisdom: Tips, Trends and Techniques for dominating digital.
This year, we’re bringing back 3T in true digital style. Monthly, online 3Ton30 webinars break down the latest trends in digital media all in 45 minutes or less. The third Wednesday of every month features a new expert unpacking a new digital topic. The 30-minute presentation and 15-minute Q&A format delivers digestible information for busy marketers with tight schedules.
February 17th at 1:30 p.m. EST premiers the next installment of the series, where Centro’s Director of Video, Heather Robertson, will tackle one of the biggest topics in the current digital landscape: digital video advertising. But with so many different digital video formats, it can be tough to know which one to use. Not to worry! Heather will explain the four essential video formats, the appropriate situations and platforms on which to use each, and how a proper mix of in your digital video plans will lead to successful campaigns and results.
Whether you’ve worked with the four primary video formats before or you’re a total newbie – the webinar on February 17th is full of tips and best practices for every marketer looking for a whole new level of engagement with their audience this year.
Click here to learn more information and to save your spot. Registrants will receive a handy prep sheet to guide them through the webinar. Can’t make it this month? Keep your eyes peeled for 3Ton30 webinars every month in 2016.
Election year is such an incredibly exciting time. In the coming months, campaigns will hit a fever-pitch trying to reach every potential supporter, everywhere. Simultaneously, voters will narrow in on their preferred candidates. Which means those of us in digital media must rapidly develop smartly executed, integrated campaigns – ones that will earn the greatest ROI and ultimately, the most votes.
As the race continues, many an industry event is spent discussing the rising role of digital in the election. What’s the trajectory of spend? Do advanced targeting capabilities simply reach more voters or the right ones? And what about the incredible power of polling data and how to use it wisely?
MediaPost recently held their annual Marketing Politics event in Washington, D.C. The event focused on key strategic decisions political marketers will face in the coming months. I not only had the pleasure of attending this popular event, but of sitting on a discussion panel, too. Both on and off the stage, it was a day filled with incredibly astute and forward thinking discussions.
Here are 5 key points I took away from the event that I think will be valuable for you to consider during this election year:
For a closer look at the event, you can find the session videos here.
Each issue of Political Digital Digest brings you the latest news and developing stories about the innovative role digital media is playing in the 2106 election. Everything you need to know is right here, right now.
When managing programmatic RTB campaigns, maintaining a high standard of inventory quality is a crucial task. If left unaddressed, low-quality sites make performance optimization futile, as they poison the effectiveness of your campaigns from the outset.
To combat low-quality sites, it’s recommended you vigilantly monitor fraud. You can automatically do this with 3rd party fraud detection technology, which looks for blatant signs of fraud (e.g., ads with zero chance of ever being seen, or impressions coming from suspicious IP addresses). Centro DSP, for example, has real-time fraud technology baked-in from Pixalate.
But oftentimes a human touch is also needed. When looking through your media reports, look for unknown publishers and investigate them, since they could be sources of low-value inventory. Also, when reviewing your performance reports, look for indicators, such as unexpected spikes in CTR or other proxy metrics. Oftentimes a CTR above 1% is good reason to be suspicious, especially in an industry where the average is below 0.1%.
Surge CTRs like this often come from bot traffic. Further investigation generally shows the time each of these impressions spends on the site is very short – as little as a second or less. This is another good indicator that your CTR spike may be fraudulent.
If you find sites and publishers that look suspicious or contribute to low quality, add them to a block list. As shown in the screenshot below, a block list is a line-delimited list of domains you want to explicitly exclude from your campaigns, ensuring your ads don't get served on them. Block lists are something you create and maintain over time.
An actively managed block list is a great way to block sites that may jeopardize your campaign. So keeping an updated block list is not only an important practice, but also a competitive advantage.
But there are downsides to managing block lists, too. It’s a highly manual operation, it’s inherently reactive, and in the end, block lists aren’t totally foolproof. Regardless, the pros far outweigh the cons and block lists should be used as an important measure of safety for your campaigns.
To learn more about Centro DSP and request a demo, click here.
Does CES ever disappoint? Not really and this year was no different. With new tech and innovations as far as the eye could see, there are plenty of opportunities on the horizon for marketers and advertisers to utilize. Though some of those opportunities are still in their infancy, the promise surrounding them is high and many are eagerly waiting to see what’s to come. Here are the five big points I took home from CES 2016 and my thoughts on where digital fits into the fold.
VR (virtual reality)
Whether it’s devices like Oculus Rift or Google Cardboard, content creators like Discovery or distribution networks like Littlstar, you’ve likely heard or read about the influx of innovations in the VR space. No surprise, there continued to be lots of buzz about the topic at CES during sessions through experience-based demos, and a heavy presence among various booths on the floor. Though it’s yet to be seen what type of advertising opportunities will exist at scale within this space, Discovery eluded to content integration ideas. Google noted that early campaigns used branded cardboard executions and virtual test drives with auto clients. Measurement is still a bit tricky, like with most new testing opportunities, but the advent of VR should be encouraging enough for brands, advertisers, creative shops, etc. to start thinking about how to evolve the way they approach content creation.
Advanced TV and Connected TV
Beyond advancements in TV manufacturer technology like 4K OLED, there was a heavy focus on Video at CES, with several notable elements that have an inherent influence on media buying and advertising opportunities. Announcements from AudienceXpress about the release of their self-serve programmatic TV platform and Acxiom’s news about an addressable TV platform firmly establish the continued push toward automation and audience-based targeting needing to move beyond just digital channels like desktop and mobile, and into more traditional channels like TV.
Analytics
Cross-platform TV & digital video measurement continues to be a challenge in our industry. Should core success metrics look more like today’s digital KPIs or TVs old standby of GRPs? Nielsen’s DAR (digital ad ratings product) was one of the first available solutions for buyers to report verified, on-target GRPs across desktop and mobile campaigns, allowing digital metrics to look more like TV. On the flip side, Samba TV has been working toward making TV metrics look more like digital. At their booth space, Centro’s Digital Innovations team was given a preview of their analytics dashboard, expected to be released in Q2 2016, which pulls in data from their 3MM household research panel to report against viewability rates, completion rates and skip rates, in addition to standard TV metrics like GRPs. In addition to their existing broadcast conversion rate offering, this could be a game changer for media buyers and advertisers looking to move beyond GRPs with their TV buys.
Ad Blockers
Over the past few months, it seems the trades have been all over the topic of ad blockers being a concern for online advertisers, but dismiss the fact that this is not a challenge exclusive to digital media. I was a TV buyer in 2012 and still recall the outcry when Dish announced their plans for the Hopper “AutoHop” update, a DVR feature that allowed users to skip past commercials with the push of a button, instead of the normal requirement of fast-forwarding to skip ads. Though announced last September, TiVo featured their new product, Bolt, at this year’s CES, which has features eerily similar to that of the Hopper AutoHop in terms of the ability to skip commercials. What does that mean? It’s the ultimate TV ad blocker. If these DVR features take off and start to become the norm with other set-top boxes, I imagine a couple of other partner activations seen at CES may be solutions for avoiding those ad blockers. One such partner is Watchwith, offering a native in-program ad format with future promises of being accessible through private marketplaces. This new ad format gives TV programmers additional ways to monetize their content and media buyers an option to avoid TV commercial skippers and capitalize on another high-reach, branding opportunity on TV.
CTV Screens Everywhere
The floors of CES were filled with screens, but not just clearer and thinner TV screens for the living room. We saw screens on refrigerators, in cars, on watches, as kitchen counter backsplashes, on telepresence robots, even doorbells that connected the ringer to a screen. Some of these screens have existed for a few years and just haven’t been adopted at scale yet, while others are new prototypes. While it’s still early for many of these screens to be widely adopted, it is clear video content is going to continue to rise and hit us everywhere we go.
As expected, there is plenty to be excited for. With more devices comes more opportunities for new and innovative ad units and customer experiences. Being ahead of the game will be essential to success once these new technologies are adopted at scale.
Learn more about Connected TV Advertising with Centro.
Centro’s Ian Trider Receives IAB Service Excellence Award for OpenRTB Protocol Contributions;
IAB Honorees Recognized for Propelling the Interactive Advertising Industry Forward
CHICAGO, IL – Jan. 25, 2016 – Centro (centro.net), a provider of enterprise-class software for digital advertising, today announced that it has been awarded the 2016 IAB Sales Excellence Awards. The IAB Sales Awards acknowledge individuals and organizations that have demonstrated exemplary leadership and achievements in digital advertising sales. Centro, one of only two company-level recipients of the award, was selected among small- to mid-size sales organizations. Additionally, Ian Trider, RTB manager at Centro, received an IAB Service Excellence Award for his contributions to the OpenRTB 2.4 protocol. These accolades were presented at beginning of the IAB Annual Leadership Meeting on January 24, 2016, in Palm Desert, California.
The IAB Sales Executive Council works with media intelligence firm Advertiser Perceptions, Inc. (www.advertiserperceptions.com) to identify the skills and achievements that are measured and honored for the IAB Sales Excellence Awards. Advertiser Perceptions surveyed 560 executives at agencies and advertisers, each of whom bought at least $1 million in digital advertising in the last year, to identify organizations and salespeople for the 2016 awards. The study measures IAB general member companies on three attributes of selling -- customer service, knowledge and innovation. Additionally, the IAB Service Awards recognize members’ exceptional contributions to IAB industry initiatives over the past year. The winners are nominated by IAB staff and voted on by the organization’s 20 committees and councils and several working groups.
“The IAB Sales Excellence Awards identify industry leaders who have achieved noteworthy success selling digital advertising,” said Sherrill Mane, SVP, Research, Analytics and Measurement, IAB. “They are celebrated today for their talent and acute understanding of how to create advertising solutions that meet the demands of media buyers and marketers within an ever-evolving digital landscape.”
Centro’s technology and service solutions help agencies and advertisers automate the entire lifecycle of media transactions with publishers, encompassing guaranteed and biddable ad inventory on every major digital channel. It is the partner-of-choice for simplifying and consolidating the various aspects of digital media buying. Centro works with 2,000 agencies and fields a sales force of more than 100 team members that encompass all major regions in the U.S.
“Digital media revolves around the contributions of people. Our industry needs knowledgeable professionals who can explain the value of digital -- how it works, how it’s changing, and what advertisers can do about it,” said Tyler Kelly, SVP of Client Development, Centro. “We are honored by our recognition from the IAB. It’s a testament to our team’s training and development and it demonstrates that our customers are receiving advice and insights that drive business success.”
About Centro
Centro (centro.net) is creating a platform to make digital advertising easier. Its enterprise-class software centralizes, organizes and automates all digital media campaigns across all channels, accessing both guaranteed and biddable inventory, to achieve any objective. Our holistic approach gives marketers a single system of record to fulfill their research, planning, buying, optimization, reporting and reconciliation needs. Since 2001, Centro has successfully planned and executed more than 250,000 campaigns across all digital display platforms and ad format types. Headquartered in Chicago with 32 offices in North America, Centro has received numerous accolades for its commitment to employees and workplace culture.
About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. It is comprised of more than 650 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital advertising or marketing campaigns. Together, they account for 86 percent of online advertising in the United States. Working with its member companies, the IAB develops technical standards and best practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. The organization is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the IAB advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City and has a West Coast office in San Francisco.
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Contact:
Anthony Loredo
646-462-4888
AdExchanger’s Industry Preview 2016 was wrapped up yesterday. Detailing the digital advertising industry’s hot topics for the coming year, there were plenty of great quotes, predictions, and insights. This year in particular, topics such as programmatic TV, cross-device tracking, targeting, and measurement, ad blocking, ad fraud, and native advertising took center stage.
With digital spend out-pacing TV ad spend, it’s no wonder the industry is looking to bring an automated buying process to the TV sphere. What adds some complication is the advent of streaming devices like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast.
Love @meganpagliuca simplified def of programmatic "plan, buy through tech using data" @Omnicom @Accuen_USA #IP2016
— Melinda McLaughlin (@MelOnMktg) January 20, 2016
Could programmatic TV be more effective in within these streaming services, where ads can be more targeted based upon individual channel subscriptions and user data? This could be the case, rather than making the current TV model more digital.
Looking forward to talking cross-device tracking, ad blocking, and native ads with @AdExchanger this morning. #industrypreview #IP2016
— Julie Brill (@JulieBrillFTC) January 21, 2016
A helpful primer: The Many Faces of Ad Fraud and How to Protect Yourself @centro #IP2016 https://t.co/CfuJmfKnub
— Kelly Wenzel (@kellywenzel) January 21, 2016
Since there is no current common measurement standard for cross-device measurement, problems arise in the trustworthiness of the data being collected. Furthermore, being able to link a single user throughout various screen in devices is proving difficult enough as it is.
#ip2016 Can #nativeadvertising be programmatic & remain native? Panel consensus? All agree that, No, it's site specific & is special.
— #DigitalNYC (@digitalnyc) January 20, 2016
"Content is the new creative; native is the new distribution." @NativoPlatform's @hchrisrooke #IP2016
— Jason Jedlinski (@JasonJedlinski) January 20, 2016
Native Advertising is on the rise as the next big ad unit. Native is coming up at tough but necessary time. The FTC recently released new guidelines, calling for more disclosure on native ads. With ad blocking software growing in usage, it’s intriguing how native ads are considered a solution to bypass ad blockers and engage customers. Going forward, how will blockers account for the various native forms?
Best nugget of the event "Better to be good than lucky" @robnorman #IP2016 @adexchanger @Centro
— Kelly Wenzel (@kellywenzel) January 21, 2016
So what should we take away from AdExchanger’s Industry Preview? 2016 will hopefully be packed with plenty of ad innovations and long awaited measurement standards.
Learn more about Native Advertising with Centro.
As expected, this year’s consumer electronics show did not disappoint with a vast display of new electronics products, gadgets, systems and digital services from hundreds of brands debuting at the show. Products ranged new 8K TVs from the likes of Panasonic and LG to the releases of the unexpected as well as the unknown including SMARTWheel, a steering wheel cover that alerts drivers when they exhibit distracted behaviors on the road. Other product debuts included a variety of smart home products, a 360-degree action camera from Nikon and several virtual reality headsets, with each exhibitor taking up a fraction of the Las Vegas show’s 2.4 million square feet footprint.
Perhaps not always intended on the part of electronics providers, one thing is becoming increasingly clear – digital advertising opportunities are continuing to improve for brands and marketers. Many new smart and connected devices are primed for offering new types of advertising. Whether it’s refrigerators in connected homes or the audio system in a connected car, an online digital presence and screen are infiltrating more and more parts of everyday life.
A series of digital marketing sessions titled ‘the Chief Digital Officer Global Forum’ honed in on these findings. CMOs, CIOs and CTOs representing brands like Under Armour, American Airlines, The Weather Company, Disney and Visa partook in a panel discussions. Each company acknowledged their firm commitment to innovating in the consumer technology space for the benefit of their expanding consumer base’s needs.
While traditionally not thought of as a technology company, Disney’s CTO, Skarpi Hedinsson, noted that as marketers, there is a responsibility to reach and engage with consumers across every screen that they would want to reach out to a respective brand on.
Another key contention was the importance of constant data collection. Every chief digital officer noted the need to aggressively collect and aggregate data and leverage it to make future decisions from analytical findings. Under Armour’s head of North America Media and Advertising, Doug Ziewacz, added that while people may view the brand as a sports apparel retailer, the company defines themselves as a technology company.
That focus and drive to regularly analyze customer needs through technology, data and expanding screen and device usage is what these companies anticipate will keep them thriving for years to come. With those key considerations in mind, major brands and advertisers are primed to leverage devices from the CES showroom to better reach their consumers and ultimately sustain success.
There’s something rotten in online publishing. I’m no Shakespeare, but we’re an industry under siege. The rise of programmatic ad buying is devaluing and commoditizing our lifeblood (our owned and operated inventory). As a result, some people are compromising user experience by piling on more ads and artificially inflating traffic numbers — hoping to boost their financial performances.